Bangkok: The death toll from a Colombian military plane crash has risen to 66, according to a senior Colombian official. The official stated that rescue workers are continuing their efforts to search for four missing individuals while transporting dozens of survivors to nearby hospitals.

According to Thai News Agency, Colombian military commander Hugo Alejandro Lopez reported that the Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules transport aircraft was carrying a total of 128 people. This included 11 air force personnel, 115 army personnel, and 2 police officers. The latest death toll has nearly doubled from the initial official count as search and rescue operations remain underway.

Defense Minister Pedro S¡nchez revealed on the X platform that the aircraft accident occurred during takeoff from Puerto Leguizamo, a location near Colombia's border with Peru. Firefighter Eduardo San Juan Gallejas, speaking to local media, suggested that the plane experienced a violent impact as it pitched up near the runway's end, striking a tree before crashing and igniting a fire, which led to the explosion of some carried explosives.

Mr. Lopez added that 57 survivors have been hospitalized, with 30 receiving treatment for non-serious injuries at a military clinic. A spokesperson for Lockheed Martin has confirmed the company's readiness to assist Colombia in investigating the cause of the crash.

The Hercules C-130 aircraft is a model first introduced in the 1950s, with Colombia acquiring its first units in the late 1960s. The fleet has undergone recent modernization with second-hand or surplus aircraft from the US military, under an equipment support agreement. The aircraft involved in the crash is identified by a tail serial number as one of the three aircraft recently delivered to Colombia by the US. The Colombian military regularly employs these aircraft to transport troops for missions related to the country's prolonged civil war, which has persisted for more than six decades and resulted in over 450,000 deaths.